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Arts and Crafts - Thistlestar in Santa Fe

"Thistlestar", a residence located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, may be the first adobe home constructed in the Arts & Crafts style. The arts and crafts vocabulary compliments the family’s fine collection of art and antiques, and the extensive library.

Long horizontal elements and expansive vistas that are such a part of Northern New Mexico landscapes are referenced in the massing and trim work of the home. Adapting sleeping porch motifs seen in the work of the Greene Brothers, the architect was able to counterpoint the massive adobe structure with the strong yet light horizontal lines of the portals and gentleman’s study. The close vertical grain of the fir used generously in the home emphasizes the linear nature of the trim. Window patterns reinforce this horizontality and also provide the opportunity to take in the sweeping views of the surrounding mountains.

The home, about 7000 feet under roof, has grandeur in the scale of the "Powwow" room, named after the vibrant painting by Earl Staley placed over the fireplace. It also evokes the coziness and comfort of a bungalow in some of the smaller spaces: the children’s’ play area at the base of the stairs, the breakfast nook next to the kitchen, and the fireplace alcove in the master suite. Three fireplaces, each a segue to an arts and crafts vignette, add a warming charm on frosty winter evenings. The deep portal with views over the golf course and to the Jemez Mountains is a major living area for much of the year.

Portfolio

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The massive adobe structure is easy to keep comfortable. Designed with a keen eye to the path of the sun and prevailing winds, the home stays cool through the summer without the use of mechanical cooling systems. In the winter months, the adobe, well-insulated from the cold, holds heat efficiently as the radiant heating element circulates warmth through the concrete slabs to maintain a mean radiant temperature which changes only gradually in contrast to the dramatic temperature swings outdoors.

The large portal shelters the western face of the home from the hot southwestern sun in the afternoon, and is in turn sheltered by several deciduous shade trees. The shade trees, like many of the xeriscaped plantings, are watered by runoff carefully guided from the roof of the home.

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The methods of energy efficient design, ecologically friendly masonry construction, and restorative landscaping employed in this home would be a worthy standard for building everywhere. "Thistlestar" moves the edge in arts and crafts detailing, innovative design, and the enduring quality of traditional adobe construction.

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